Wednesday, May 9, 2012

OPI Chopsticking To My Story + Shatter

Howdy friends. I had planned to keep my last manicure for a while, but it was a rough morning and I needed something fun and relaxing to do this afternoon. So I put on Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and did my nails.

OPI's Hong Kong collection was one that really drew me into nail polish. It contained so many great colors like Suzi Says Feng Shui and Jade Is The New Black. One that I always had my eye on was Chopsticking To My Story. It's one of those ugly/pretty shades, a burnt orangey brown. Well I held off on buying it until Ulta no longer carried it, but one of my dear friends had it and was willing to part with it! So here it is now finally, on my nails. Well, under a coat of gold shatter, since I've been on a big shatter kick lately.

OPI Chopsticking To My Story, two coats with OPI Gold Shatter

I Looove this color. It complements my skin tone nicely. It seems perfect as part of a Hong Kong themed collection too, reminds me of orange sesame chicken and yes, chopsticks. 

Hope you are all having a wonderful day.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue with Turquoise Shatter

Hello y'all. It's a rainy rainy day, and after a great morning rehearsal I was looking forward to some frito pie, Psych, and a new manicure. With all the gloomy weather today, something blue seemed appropriate, so I chose OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue and OPI Turquoise Shatter.

Yoga-ta Get This Blue is a velvety navy with a turquoise shimmer. It's one of my favorite blues and I just have to show you.
OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue, two coats

For extra depth, I layered OPI Turquoise Shatter on top.

OPI Turquoise Shatter over OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue, with top coat

OoOoOoOoh! The turquoise shatter looks iridescent and having the navy underneath ads extra drama. The shatter had a cool chrome effect before top coat too, so I could see wearing it both ways. 

What do you think? What colors would you like to see under Turquoise shatter?

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Berry Gradient

Howdy friends. It was a wonderful weekend at Lake Travis and now it's back to the daily grind. Pretty light week at the symphony, but my boyfriend's in town and this weekend I'll be busy with an extra gig. So I took advantage of my free time now in between practice sessions to do a quick mani.

I was inspired by my friend, who came to the lake house with a wonderful gradient/skittles mani in shades of coral. She used three colors and then rotated them and I thought the effect was fabulous. So much so, that I want to do the same thing.

Instead of changing hues, I wanted to play with different finishes. I chose three polishes that, in the bottle, looked like they were the same general shade of berry. I chose a creme, a subtle shimmer, and a crazy foil, and then rotated them in that order.

Left to Right: OPI Belize it or Not, Zoya Manon, Zoya Gloria 


Bottom to top: Gloria, Manon, Belize it or Not, Gloria

On the nail, the foil looks a lot lighter. The shimmer in Manon is so subtle that it gets lost and looks almost identical to Belize it or Not. I still like it though, the shades are all very flattering on my skin tone and I think the varied hues are more flattering than just a straight mani.

*I need to make a quick side-note about Belize it or Not. This is a polish I've had SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. That means it's ELEVEN years old and still has an absolutely beautiful application. Can we just take a second to appreciate that? Unfortunately it has OPI's older more health-hazardous formula, but seriously, eleven years old and still flows, self-evens and isn't thick! Impressive.

How was your weekend? Do you have anything special coming up this week?



Thursday, April 26, 2012

L.A.K.E.

Howdy friends! This is an exciting weekend coming up: Tomorrow I fly to L.A. for 24 hours, then it's off to Austin for a weekend lake-house retreat with my boyfriend and our friends. I haven't seen him for 3 weeks so I'm quite excited :-)

It seemed too soon to part with my Coronation mani, so I kept it on my index finger as an accent nail. Then I used L'OREAL Waters Edge, a serene aqua creme, and a coat of OPI Silver Shatter.
L'OREAL Waters Edge, OPI Silver Shatter, Coronation Accent Nail

The result: something suitable for California and the lake! Now hopefully it will be sunny this year :-)

Do you have any fun weekend plans?


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Coronation Nails

What happens when you put debutantes into the same theater? Glitter. Lots and lots of Glitter.

Tonight I'm playing for Coronation, a coming-out ball that happens every year during Fiesta. All the ladies wear glitzy dresses with loooong trains. I got a peek of them today during rehearsal- Yowza! Not wanting to be shown up, and since we have to wear all black, the bling goes on my nails.

I started with two coats of OPI Your Royal Shineness, a wonderful platinum microglitter. Then I added a coat of OPI Silver Shatter for texture. Once that dried, I used Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday on my index fingers for an accent nail. The other nails are topped with Color Club Platinum Record.


Coronation Nails
They're so sparkly! The shatter effect isn't very visible, but it keeps the texture from being too flat. Happy Birthday looks really great over silver, and I like how the color is a subtle effect against the rest of the glitter.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day! The weather here in San Antonio is beautiful, I hope you're all experiencing something similar where you live :-)


Saturday, April 21, 2012

¡Viva Fiesta!

¡Viva Fiesta! Every spring in San Antonio, the entire city throws a giant week-long party. It's either to celebrate Easter or to have an excuse for music and bright colors and drinking in the street. We at the symphony participle by throwing a Fiesta Pops concert, which includes a real live Mariachi Band. If you happened to be at the concert last night, you did in fact hear a Mariachi song that was about...a handlebar mustache.
An event this spectacular obviously requires a special manicure. I chose 5 different piñata colors, painted each nail a different shade, then used two coats of Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday on top.


 Fiesta Nails
The colors I used were:
  • Thumb: Zoya Pippa
  • Index: OPI Belize it or Not
  • Middle: China Glaze Gaga for Green
  • Ring: Sinful Colors Ruby Ruby
  • Pinkie: OPI Fly


On my Right hand, I used the same colors but changed the order. I wanted a complete melange of piñata shades. If I had more time, I thought about getting some tissue paper too...maybe next year.


What do you think? Does it capture the spirit of Fiesta? Have you ever gotten to experience Fiesta? I would love to hear your stories.



  


Monday, March 5, 2012

Revlon Lilac In Love

Howdy friends. Recently we've seen vivid bright nail polishes come into vogue. But as Spring approaches, something delicate seems fitting. For this manicure, I pulled out an ancient bottle of nail polish, one in my collection since circa 1999. Revlon Lilac in Love, a limited edition, is a pinky lavender with orchid blue shimmer. Two coats makes for a romantic manicure. The blue shimmer makes it a pink that leans towards purple, and on the nail it just looks soft and enchanting.

Revlon Lilac In Love, two coats 
Revlon Lilac In Love, two coats

I love the way this looks. While a huge fan of bright, in-your-face manicures, there's something about the subtlety of this look that has me intrigued. Seeing your natural nail line isn't such a bad thing, and I think we are about to see sheer polishes gain more popularity.

**Tip: When choosing this type of manicure, look for shades with pink or red hues to complement skin tone. Polishes that are too blue or too green look unflattering. Since there will not be complete coverage, make sure that nails are nicely groomed by filing them to the same length and shape.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Gray and Lavender Nail Art

Howdy friends. I was in the mood for a little nail art this morning. My inspiration was a lot of pictures I've been seeing around Pintrest. A big trend in nail art has been clean lines with contrasting colors. Sometimes people use tape to create this effect, but I was too impatient to wait for the polish to dry long enough for that, so I freehanded it. I painted my nails with two coats of RBL Insouciant. Then I added a swipe of China Glaze Pelican Gray, at a random angle. I used a thin line of gold glitter to highlight the border between the colors. Then I topped it with one coat of CND Air Dry, my favorite quick dry top coat.



Insouciante is one of my most favorite polishes, and I really like the way it looks with the gray. I'm sure I will be wearing this for another week, which is how long I wore my last manicure. A week and no chips, with no top coat even! OPI gets major points for that.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

OPI Pink Friday with Glitter Blizzard Accent Nail

Howdy friends. Today I had a little fun with Pink Friday from the OPI Nicki Minaj collection. This is the last polish from this collection I have to show with you. It's a bubblegum pink creme with a hint of pastel to keep it from being too girly. Don't get me wrong, it's still very girly, but with that Nicki Minaj knock-you-out edge. On my ring fingers I added OPI Turquoise Shatter, then topped it with OPI Save Me, the holographic bar glitter.
This is two coats of Pink Friday with Turquoise Shatter and Save Me accent finger.

OPI Pink Friday, two coats with OPI Turquoise Shatter and OPI Save Me on ring finger

OPI Pink Friday, two coats with OPI Turquoise Shatter and OPI Save Me on ring finger
 
OPI Pink Friday, two coats with OPI Turquoise Shatter and OPI Save Me on ring finger
Looking at the accent nail is kind of like looking through a blizzard of glitter, but I kind of like the effect. You can't see the cracks but the light catches the holograph and the pink and blue make a good effect underneath.

As far as Pink Friday goes, look at how shiny it is without top coat! It self levels and dries in minutes, making for a very east and fast pink manicure.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Nicki Minaj Nail Art

Happy Valentines Day! OPI recently held the Nails For Life contest, where you could design a manicure inspired by one of Nicki Minaj's outfits from the past year. The contest was aimed at promoting "stand out nails" in everyday life. Now that it has ended I am allowed to publicly post my pictures. The polishes I used are OPI Teenage Dream, Color Club Platinum RecordZoya Minka, Sally Hansen Milles Fleurs, a neon pink and neon green from Urban Outfitters, and nail decals.

Nicki Minaj Nail Art for OPI Nails For Life contest 

Nicki Minaj Nail Art, bottle pictured is OPI Teenage Dream

Nicki Minaj Nail Art for OPI Nails For Life contest
How I did each nail:
  • Pinky- two coats of Urban Outfitters unnamed neon pink, one wipe of Urban Outfitters unnamed neon green on tip, nail decal on tip
  • Ring- two coats of OPI Teenage Dream, diamond and pearl nail decal in center of nail
  • Middle- two coats of Sally Hansen Milles Fleurs, two coats of Color Club Platinum Record on tip, nail decal just above tip
  • Index- two coats of Zoya Minka, one coat Sally Hansen Milles Fleurs swiped diagonally across tip, one coat of OPI Teenage Dream atop that, diamond and pearl nail decals bordering tip
Painting on the fly, these nails took about 2 hours to create. After I did these I was so in love that I had to come up with more designs for the rest of my fingers, those took another hour or so. If you'd like to see a picture of the outfit I was inspired by, click here.

I LOVED wearing this manicure. My favorite nail was my ring finger, it reminded me how much I absolutely love Teenage Dream. 

My thoughts are that I would love to do something like this again, and it is much easier having something, a photo, as inspiration. What do you think of nail art manicures like this? What types of things would use as inspiration? I would love to read your answers in the comments section.


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Chanel Morning Rose

Hello friends. Here is the polish I had intended to show you yesterday, before I so unceremoniously removed it in preparation for the surprise delivery of Mermaid's Dream. This is Chanel Morning Rose, which was released last spring as a 2011 Limited Edition. Unfortunately it's no longer for sale on line, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it at a few department store beauty counters so you could probably still get your hands on it. I'd highly recommend doing so, too. This cherry blossom pink with tiny gold flakes looks like lip gloss for your nails, and goes beautifully with Spring skin that is just on the verge of a tan.

Chanel Morning Rose, three coats in indirect sunlight
It's so healthy looking. I wear it without top coat because it looks uniquely glossy on it's own. The gold flakes are very visible in the bottle. On the nail they're just enough to give it a subtle shimmer. This is just a hands down great pink and I vow to wear it much more this Summer.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream Swatches

That's it friends, I don't think I need to buy another nail polish, ever. I hope you are ready for these pictures I'm going to share with you. Ms. Lippmann has outdone herself again and created a nail polish nothing short of spectacular. Here it is, Mermaid's Dream, a new release for Spring 2012.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, two coats indirect sunlight

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, two coats, indirect sunlight

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, two coats, indirect sunlight

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, bottle macro shot
Mermaid's Dream is a teal glitter with sapphire glitter gems and subtle gold sparks. It's amazing because it creates the illusion that your nails are jewel-encrusted. Because of this, it's better actually without top coat. (The first manicure I did, I applied top coat but it had this unattractive gritty effect.) On it's own, this polish has a finish that reminds me of antique gowns, something a mermaid probably would dream of wearing if she had legs.

Maria Menoudos' jewel encrusted gown
Application is beautiful just like all Lippmann polishes. I particularly love the brush, which picks up a good amount of polish and evenly fans it out while you polish. Dry time is practically non-existant, I think owing to the fact that this polish is predominantly glitter. I had good coverage with two coats.

Thank you, Ms. Lippmann, for such a beautiful polish to see us through seaside summer days, and beyond. And a special shout out to Neiman Marcus for such excellent (and fast!) service.


OPI Fly + Save Me

Howdy friends. Fly is another polish I picked up from the new OPI Nicki Minaj collection. At first I expected it to be just like Suzi Says Feng Shui, only more teal. But in actuality, Fly is not a creme but a really opaque sorbet. Three coats provides full coverage, and because it's a sorbet, the effect is like looking into water that's so deep you can't see where it ends. I like that about this polish, it has more depth than a regular creme (no pun intended.)

OPI Fly, three coats in direct sunlight 
Here's what it looks like with two coats of Save Me.

OPI Save Me, two coats over OPI Fly in direct sunlight
I like that the colors in this collection seem like they were inspired by the holographic spectrum found in the bar glitter. I also like how the silver glitter in Save Me creates such a flashy sheen. Overall, I think Fly is a unique polish because of the sorbet effect, and I like how it coordinates with Save Me.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sneak Peak: Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream


   Howdy friends. Spring is nigh upon us, which means sunlight, warm weather, and fantasies of lounging on the beach. For those of us that can't get near the ocean, Deborah Lippmann has created two fabulous shades that she believes will "feel like a vacation no matter where you are." The one that has me drooling is Mermaid's Dream, sapphire glitter flecks swimming in a sea foam green shimmer. Let's take a closer look with some recent pictures from Neiman Marcus' website.







To see the real thing, check out my swatches here.
Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

   This color certainly has me enchanted with it's siren song. My swooning is so great that I pre-ordered it today from Neiman Marcus. $18 is a price I'm willing to pay for such gorgeousness from Deborah Lippmann. This is expected to arrive late in February, and I will be sure to share swatches with you as soon as it does.

To see the real thing, check out my swatches here.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

China Glaze Colors From The Capitol (The Hunger Games collection)

Howdy friends. China Glaze has released updated information about their much anticipated Hunger Games collection. The polish names have been changed, and the entire collection will now be called Colors From The Capitol. I'm sure to those of you who have read the books, you could explain this title to me, since I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the election in November that is already everywhere on Facebook. Politics aside, here are closer looks at swatches, bottle shots, and the new names of the China Glaze Colors From The Capitol Collection.

China Glaze Colors from the Capitol collection, photo courtesy of All Lacquered Up

China Glaze Colors from the Capitol bottle shots, photo courtesy of Mama's a Rolling Stone

China Glaze Colors from the Capitol collection, photo courtesy of All Lacquered Up

These seem very earthy and run from muted cremes to bright, in your face glitters. Luxe and Lush is sure to look gorgeous over many of these colors, especially Dress Me Up, Fast Track, Agro, and Mahogany Magic. There's something unique about each of these polishes, it's hard for me to even pick which ones stand out. As a collection they look beautiful together, I think China Glaze has done a good job of creating a cohesive collection with something for everyone. Now let's see them in person! The collection is set to release March 1, with the movie coming out on March 23.


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Save Me, Your Royal Shine-ness

Howdy friends. Today called for something celebratory, since I just found out I won the audition for principal horn of the Mid-Texas symphony! Wooot. I wanted to stick with OPI Save Me and was interested to see what it would look like over a silver polish. In celebration of my victory, I found and bought a bottle of OPI Your Royal Shine-ness, from the Serena Williams Grand Slam! Summer 2011 collection. Here are two coats of Save Me over two coats of Your Royal Shine-ness.

OPI Save Me, two coats over OPI Your Royal Shine-ness, indoors with flash 
It's so fabulous, I have to show it to you in direct sunlight!
OPI Save Me, two coats over OPI Your Royal Shine-ness, outdoors, direct sunlight
AAAAAAAh!!! I seriously cannot stop staring at my nails. I am like a raccoon! YRS-n has this amazing reflection, and the glitter in Save Me is so wickedly holographic. I highly recommend BOTH of these polishes if you like shiny things.

Friday, January 27, 2012

OPI Save Me over Did It On Em

Howdy friends. After wearing Did It On Em for a while I decided to add a little sparkle with OPI Save Me, also from the new Niki Minaj collection.  Save Me is an interesting glitter with small silver glitter, blue slightly holographic bar glitter, and silver mega-holographic bar glitter. I'm not kidding when I say mega-holographic, the flashes from these things seriously look like electric lights.  It's pretty amazing.
OPI Save Me, one coat over OPI Did It On Em
Seriously, look at this bottle! These babies are glowing!

closeup OPI Save Me, one coat over OPI Did It On Em
The glitter is pretty sparse. I think two coats might look better than just one. I didn't like how the glitter just clumped together on my middle finger, but hey that's part of the "imperfect" look. Bar glitter has an odd look to me, kind of like little hairs. But the more this polish on my fingers, the more I'm getting used to it. And holy cow, you can't beat the holographic effect.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

OPI Did It On Em

Hello hello hello!  I'm finally back after a long break. I apologize for my absence. I was traveling a lot over the holidays, and I realize that isn't such a good excuse when it's already almost February, but let me tell you I plan on updating much more frequently now that I'm all settled back in the Alamo city! I still travel back and forth to visit my bf a lot, but I will start updating from his apartment so I don't leave you without pretty colors for too long!

When I saw the Niki Minaj collection in person, I realized how awesome it is and got Did It On Em, Pink Fiday, Fly, and Save Me. Today I'm sharing with you Did It On Em, a slightly muted chartreuse. It sounds ugly and it kind of is, but in a pretty way.
OPI Did It On Em, three coats
See what I mean? It's an unusual shade, but because of the olive undertones, it looks really good on my skin tone. It also coordinates with lots of colors I wear: Navy, Fuscia, Orange, Black, Tan. It's kind of the neutral of really odd colors. I love how bright it is without being neon. I think it captures the funky cool offbeat hip hop flavor of Niki Minaj. As far as formula, it dried quickly and has a great shine! I did need three coats, which is a little odd for OPI cremes, this polish is just a little thin. I'm curious to see if the other cremes from this collection are like that.

What do you think? Would you wear a color like this? What would you think if you saw someone wearing it?